"Message in a Bottle" is the 14th episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 82nd episode overall. It aired on January 21, 1998, on the UPN network.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet and Maquis crew of the starship USS Voyager after they were stranded in the Delta Quadrant far from the rest of the Federation. Using an ancient alien relay network, the ship's holographic Doctor is transmitted to the Alpha Quadrant to make contact with Starfleet Command.

This episode features a new Federation ship design called the U.S.S. Prometheus, which was designed by Rick Sternbach for the show. This is also the first episode to feature the new uniforms from Star Trek: First Contact in the series, since the Voyager crew had continued to wear the original DS9 uniforms while stuck in the Delta Quadrant.

Plot

Seven of Nine uses the newly extended range of the starship USS Voyagers sensors to locate an unattended network of alien sensor stations. Patching into this, she is able to locate a United Federation of Planets vessel in the Alpha Quadrant. Hoping to contact Starfleet after more than three years in the Delta Quadrant, Voyagers crew attempts to send a message along the relay but it is reflected back after degrading en route. Thinking that a holographic signal would not degrade, they send the Doctor, Voyagers Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH).

The Doctor arrives in the sickbay of the USS Prometheus, a secret experimental Federation warship. He learns from a dying crewman that the Romulans had learned of the prototype and captured it, killing all on board. Being pursued by the USS Bonchune, the Romulans initiate the first test of the new multi-vector assault mode, in which Prometheus splits into three pieces to engage hostile ships.

Seeking assistance, the Doctor activates the Prometheuss EMH (Andy Dick), a Mark II version of the program. The Doctor learns from the other EMH of the Dominion War, which the Federation is fighting in and Romulans have not entered. The second EMH cites protocol for an EMH to deactivate when its vessel is taken over but Voyagers doctor notes that they cannot do so as both ships are at risk.

The Romulans do not view EMHs as threats. Using the pretense of an infection on board, the Doctor goes to the bridge to open the atmospheric filters to flood the ship with anesthetizing gas. The ruse fails but when he is captured and interrogated, the Doctor keeps the Romulans stalled long enough for the EMH Mark II to fool the ship's computer into opening the filters, permitting the distribution of the gas. Just after they take control, Prometheus is intercepted by three Romulan D'deridex-class warbirds.

Unfamiliar with the helm and weapons systems, the two EMH programs fail to fool the Romulans into leaving, before three more Starfleet vessels arrive. In the ensuing battle, all six other vessels target Prometheus. The EMH Mark II stumbles upon the command to put the ship into multi-vector assault mode. Prometheus overpowers and destroys one of the Romulan warbirds; the Romulans retreat and a Starfleet security detail arrives aboard.

On Voyager, the crew has learned that the sensor array was not abandoned but is claimed by the Hirogen, who announce themselves and demand that Voyager disconnect at once. Janeway tries to negotiate but the Hirogen officer is recalcitrant. Seven of Nine buys time to await the Doctor's return by stunning the officer with a feedback loop. The Doctor returns via the array with good news; he has briefed Starfleet Headquarters about Voyager, the first time Starfleet has heard from the vessel since it disappeared three years earlier. Voyager has been removed from Starfleet's list of destroyed ships and a message sent back, "You're no longer alone". Starfleet will attempt to help Voyager and will tell next of kin that the crew is alive.

Design

The original design of the Prometheus was based on a concept drawing submitted by a promotional contest winner hosted by UPN. The exterior of the fictional spacecraft depicted in the episode was created by Rich Sternbach and the special effect sequence was done by Foundation Imaging. The interior sets of the same spacecraft were designed by Richard James. This provides a backstory for many character developments, such as increased morale and renewed hope of making it back to Earth, and establishing backstory for further contact with Starfleet in later episodes.

Reception

SyFy Wire ranked this episode the third best episode of Star Trek: Voyager, calling it a "fast paced action comedy" and praising Robert Picardo's performance with Andy Dick.

In 2019, Screen Rant ranked "Message in a Bottle" as one of the five best Star Trek: Voyager episodes,